A Day at CEC
CEC is open Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 8:30am to 3:30pm.
Here’s a look at a member’s potential schedule during a week at the Center:
Monday, Tuesday and Thursday
8:30-9:00 - We’ll gather together in a casual circle in our shared space.
9:00-12:00 - Head out to the skate park for a Practical Physics class, hang with other students in the lounge, read a book in the cozy quiet room, go online and research your Rabbit Hole topic, meet up with your Mentor, head out to a favorite local business to shadow and see BTS.
12:00-1:00 - Lunch (note, your actual lunch time is not set… you can eat whenever you’re hungry!). Head out to one of the restaurants right in Ambler downtown or prepare your lunch just like you’re at home in the Center’s kitchen.
1:00-3:00 - Spend your afternoon watching and discussing a movie over popcorn in the lounge for the US History through Film course.
3-3:30 - Hang with friends before heading out for the day.
Free Choice Fridays
Each month, we pick a topic to take a deep dive into as a group. On Fridays, we will sometimes have guest speakers, work on group projects, or take field trips related to our monthly topic.
For example, if our topic were Marine Biology,
1st Friday we’d break into teams and decide what aspect of marine biology your group wants to learn about. Share what you already know and what we’re curious to learn more about.
2nd Friday we’d have a guest speaker from LifeSensors in Great Valley come to the Center for a Q&A session, followed by time at the library to research your team’s marine biology topic.
3rd Friday we’d take a group field trip to Adventure Aquarium for their “From Endangered to Extinct” program. (Note students and staff would have also researched and planned the field trip, including transportation, fees, business hours, etc.)
4th Friday you’d have an opportunity to share what your group learned, open mic style. This could include artwork, poetry, group presentations, scientific papers, board games, and more.
Planned Courses for Fall 2025
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starting from ancient times, we will survey the world history timeline with stops at each learner’s favorite period. We’ll use our weekly class time to get an overview of the period, then teens will immerse themselves in their chosen subtopics throughout the week and come back with a creative project. Battles? Fashion? Science? Art? You get to choose how you experience history!
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for members who choose to concentrate part of their day on learning-related tasks, GTD sets aside time that they can plan into their schedule.
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Members will study the science behind natural disasters such as earthquakes, volcanoes, hurricanes, and floods. Through hands-on projects and independent research, they will explore how these events occur and their effects on people and the environment.
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Everybody does math! This class will be a dedicated time for math homework. Bring your materials and do math alongside your friends. Mentors will be on hand to help.
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Processing is a Java-variant coding language that was specifically designed to make programming accessible to visual artists and beginners. The language uses Java fundamentals and graphics outputs for a fun and interactive introduction to coding.
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News is everywhere; but making sense of it takes practice. In this discussion-based course, students bring in stories from anywhere, social media, news sites, podcasts. We unpack them together. We'll look at history, big-picture forces, and how different sources shape what we see. No experience needed, just curiosity.
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While students can choose to play games at any time during their day, CEC sets aside an hour each afternoon for lunch and board game time to give students ample time to connect and play.
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Tuesday mornings, members meet to build relationships and share ideas and feedback about their experience at CEC. Every student has a voice and the ability to make suggestions, air concerns, and plan activities with the group.
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It’s the luck of the draw with this mini research class! Each week, a subject area will be DRAWn out of a hat, then students have one week to DIG into any topic related to that area and DELIVER their findings to the group the next week. Sample topics include: futuristic materials, monsters in literature, and exotic food. We’ll pick up information and presentation skills along the way and see that research doesn’t have to be boring!
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an interactive introduction to French language and culture.
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CEC will draw from its extensive community connections to bring in a guest speaker each week to talk about their career. Representatives from small businesses, trades, and other industries will be included alongside student special requests as they are suggested.
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for members who enjoy working on their own bikes and want to learn about bike mods and maintenance.
Direct Your Learning
Current Education Center is a noncoercive environment where members “opt in” to classes and studies according to the personalized, mentor-supported plans they create.
CEC offers many opportunities for interactive peer activities, but lets the member choose their level of engagement. Many members choose to build quiet time for themselves in their day, opting to pursue interests in one of our restful spaces.
In addition to classes offered by adult volunteers, CEC encourages members to propose and organize classes and activities collaboratively.
A weekly community meeting, led by members, gives everyone a voice and creates a safe, inclusive peer environment where their ideas matter. Members bond and respect each other’s opinions, and they leave the meeting able to make an informed choice on what their day will look like.
Some classes have been proposed for Fall 2025 (see above). Other classes will be created according to member interests.
